Am i still a man if I don't own a pickup truck?

[bgott]

Re: Am i still a man if I don\'t own a pickup truck?

As long as you don't trade it for a pink Camry. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[AndyM]

Re: Am i still a man if I don\'t own a pickup truck?

<font color="blue"> As for the car you just bought, what type did buy? I am big believer in hybrids as a practical transitional vehicle while the world decides what to do about oil supplies and shortages... however, practical applications might still be a decade away. So what did you get??? </font>

My first two choices were the Honda Insight and Volkswagen Jetta TDI. All of the hybrids are in short supply and discounts are nonexistant. VW is the only company selling diesel automobiles in the U.S. until the begining of the 2005 model year, but they too are hard to find, and are being sold over MSRP. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Since the car purchase was to save money, I couldn't justify spending $8000 to $10,000 more on a car to save on fuel. After looking at the Ford Focus, and several of the Japanese and Korean brands, I ended up with a Chevrolet Cavalier LS.

Being involved in American manufacturing, I'm glad I was also able to support others in a similar industry, most especially since it was built at a factory five miles from my house! GM was offering a $4000 rebate, and I bought it fully loaded (power windows, etc.) for $12,289 (lower than similar Japanese or Korean models). Even though it only gets 35 mile per gallon on the highway, the $8,000 to $10,000 in savings from the hybrids and diesels will ultimately pay for a lot of fuel over the lifetime of my ownership of this vehicle.

Also, in breaking with rule #17, here is a breakdown of our last new car purchases...
1995 Mercury Tracer - mine
1997 Dodge Neon - hers
1997 Ford Ranger - mine
2000 Ford Contour - hers
2004 Chevy Cavalier - mine
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[BillG_in_TX]

Re: Am i still a man if I don\'t own a pickup truck?

Andy,

Reviewing the posts, the only one to advise you to get rid of the pickup is someone with a fleet of trucks at his disposal! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif The answer is obvious - keep the truck.

My wife drives our pickup and she lets me use it whenever I want - as long as I bring it back full of gas. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Mrwurm]

Re: Am i still a man if I don\'t own a pickup truck?

Here's my experience:

I lived in the city and had a pickup just because I liked it. I could afford the gas because I lived close to work. I never really needed the truck, I just liked driving one.

Moved to the country. Had to sell my truck because I could not afford the gas for the commute to work six days a week. With a new home and lots of projects, I really needed that truck.

Well, after seven years of being without a truck, I finally could afford to buy and fuel another one. Trouble is... Most of the projects are now complete. So, here I am again with a truck that I don't really need. But, I sure do like it /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[slowrev]

Re: Am i still a man if I don\'t own a pickup truck?

I have found that a good utility trailer pulled behind a car is just about as good as a pickup truck and no extra insurance and no license in KY either /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I also use the trailer behind my tractor for various uses around the farm.
I do have an old 66 Ford pickup that does not go ( no lic/ins) just so I am a real man though /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Go with what works for you, don't worry about what others think. They might tell you how to live your life, but won't pay for it /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[NIXON]

Re: Am i still a man if I don\'t own a pickup truck?

Andy , Peronally I'd lean towards keeping the Pickup . But Slowrev's idea of a decent sized Utility trailer does have it's merits . After the initial purchase , the cost of owning should be minimal . John

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Re: Am i still a man if I don\'t own a pickup truck?

AndyM. . . I think you made a smart choice based on what I've looked at too. I'm exploring buying a car for one of my sales people and the added cost of buying a hybrid right now is not quite economical, but I am under a situation where I have to buy LEV or ULEV qualifying vehicles because of fleet purchase laws that cover our company. I think I will end up buying a clean burning gas engine vehicle simply because of the type of economic choices you laid out. Paying several thousands of $$$$ extra to get 5 or maybe 10 extra "real world" miles per gallon currently does not make a lot of economic sense. It is a sad state of affairs, but the reality is as China modernizes they are driving up the costs of lots of things like steel (remember last years prices increases) and soon to be gasoline as they increase their dependance on cars. We are consuming a lot here in the US, and I defend our right to do that, but I also look at the reality of the economics and see $2/gallon as a reasonable price right now and I only see it going higher over the next few years. Hopefully technology like battery and hybrid gas/battery vehicles, and maybe someday clean hydrogen will resolve this situation . . . but for the near term I am looking for rising prices and a lot of people driving really big vehicles that are totally inefficient and seeing them grumble. I don't drive the most economical cars, but even my wife's SUV gets about 20mpg with the air conditioner running (Volvo XC90 with 6 cyl turbo engine). I believe I have a right to drive a gas guzzler, I just choose not to.

OK, now back to the Pick Up truck??? Are keeping it or selling it???


And to reply to the comment that the only guy who told you to sell the pick up owns a fleet of trucks . . . TRUE, but keep in mind that a pick up truck would not accomodate my needs anyway because I use my trucks to haul 6 to 8 pallets of mulch at a time, or pallets of rock that exceed the G.V.W. of even a large pick-up. So I guess, if the projects are small, then maybe a pick up might be useful (but my experiece is that a pick up truck simply won't do the job) . . . AND you admitted that you rarely use your pick up, so in my mind, you don't need it and it is a money drain.

 

[Bird]

Re: Am i still a man if I don\'t own a pickup truck?

Odd coincidence, Andy, and I see I'm in good company. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif We moved back into Dallas County a year ago where insurance rates are high. And my wife and I very very seldom both go out in vehicles at the same time unless we go together, so after considering the cost of insurance, registration, etc., I decided we didn't really need two vehicles and it would really be cheaper to rent a truck when I needed one, so I sold my pickup ('99 F150 Supercab).

Now that was the only logical, sensible thing to do. But in the past week or so, I've been doing a little Internet shopping, trying to decide whether to buy a full sized extended cab pickup or an S10/Ranger/Dakota. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Once you've had a pickup, it's hard to do without one, even if it is seldom used. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Re: Am i still a man if I don\'t own a pickup truck?

Bird, why don't you buy AndyM's pick up, and on those very rare occasions when he needs to use it, you could rent it back to him?

But seriously, I think U-Haul down the road from me rents Pick Ups for $19.95 a day, and I know the box stores rent both pick ups and trailers, or they will deliver. I know the lumber yard in my town delivers for free if you have a decent size load of building materials (like enough for that $2500 deck AndyM is talking about) . . . so maybe renting might be a reasonable possibility when/if a truck is actually needed.

 

[Richard]

Re: Am i still a man if I don\'t own a pickup truck?

I guess I'm one of them girly-guys. Not only don't I NOT have a truck, my (soon to be replaced) car is a truck mashing Miata! Talk about seeing them trucks quiver as I roar (or was it squeek?) past them... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Even Mr. Chalkley balked once at the challange of tying his truck to my bumper /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif I think he said he feared something about ripping a bumper off, or perhaps ripping a frame in two... I'm sure he meant his. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

anyways, I'm in a semi-nice position as my wifes uncle next door has a "farm truck" and I can use it anytime I want/need, absent him using it.

It's "fugly" if ya know what I mean, but does the job.

What I do is use it for lumber runs, diesel, etc...

EVERY TIME i have it out, I stop and fill it up. I don't care if it's on empty or on 7/8ths tank. I figure to have a truck at my disposal virtually anytime I need it, the cost of a tank of gas each time I use it, is cheaper than rental fees.

Since I borrow it every week or so, I'm usually the only one putting gas in. works out for him, works out for me, all of us are happy.